Whether or not to kneel for the national anthem was easily the biggest debate of the 2016 NFL season. Sparked by the actions of then San Fransisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick as a protest to police brutality, a number of players joined Kap in protest while others did not.
Former NFL wide receiver Brandon Marshall was a Pro Bowl-caliber player for the New York Jets at the time. However, the 11-year NFL veteran decided not to kneel in solidarity with Kaepernick. With similar social issues arising and like-minded protests still happening in 2020, Marshall's decision to not kneel is one he regrets today.
“The first thing that came to my mind, and I'm just being honest, was: ‘I got a mom that don't work. I got a sister with four kids that don't work and I've been taking care of for 10 years. If I take this knee, what will happen?',” Marshall told the I Am Athlete podcast (via Timothy Rapp of Bleacher Report).
“And I remember feeling so broken and so hurt that that was the first thing that hit my mind. ‘Do I kneel for the entire community, or do I stand for my mom, my brother, my sister?' And looking back on it, I am ashamed that I didn't take that knee.”
Several NFL players are expected to kneel during the national anthem this 2020 season to bring light to racial injustice. While Marshall hasn't been in the league since 2018, the six-time Pro Bowler certainly has a different viewpoint than he did four years ago.
“I am so excited now about with the video that just came out with the NFL players, because now I feel like they don't have to make that decision,” Marshall added. “They don't have to think about that anymore. If they want to take a knee, you think Nike's going to drop them?”
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